Foul forecast washes out Batesville

By Mike Spieker BATESVILLE, Ark. (Sept. 27) – Kyle Strickler backed up his overall quick time qualifying run on Tuesday with a dominating performance in Wednesday night’s Race For Hope 74 IMCA Modified preliminary feature. The Mooresville, N.C., driver started in the middle of the front row for the three-wide start, which ran 10 rows deep. Strickler jumped out to the lead on the opening lap as Wendell Wallace and Steven Bowers Jr. settled into second and third, respectively. Strickler quickly opened up a full straightaway lead by lap five, while Wallace and Bowers fought for the runner-up position. As Strickler approached lapped traffic at the midway point of the 25-lap event, he didn’t waste any time getting around slower cars. The two-time IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s champion made a three-wide pass around two lapped cars that were battling for position as he continued to stretch out his lead over Wallace. Strickler was still battling heavy lapped traffic as the race advanced to the closing stage but he held a steady [Read More]

By Mike Spieker BATESVILLE, Ark. (Sept. 26) – Picking up where he left off last year, Ricky Thornton Jr. raced to the opening night feature win of Mark Martin’s Race For Hope 74 at Batesville Motor Speedway. Thornton, who is the defending champion of the Race For Hope 74, led all 30 trips around the high-banked three-eighths mile clay oval en route to the Wednesday evening IMCA Modified win. “The car was really good tonight. I was able to jump out front and really run my own race,” said Thornton after the race. “We’ll probably make a few small changes for Saturday but we are ex­cited to roll from the pole.” The top eight finishers in the Wednesday qualifier are locked into Saturday’s $20,000-to win, 74-lap main event. Those drivers include Thornton, Cayden Carter, Jason Hughes, Justin Kay, Drew Armstrong, Ken Schrader, Zack VanderBeek and Joel Rust. Armstrong ran in the runner-up position until the lap 12 restart when Hughes snuck underneath him in turns one and two. On the following circuit, 10th place runner Jake [Read More]

BATESVILLE, Ark. – IMCA Modifieds run for $2,000 to win and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot berths on both nights of Batesville Motor Speedway’s Friday and Saturday, March 22 and 23 Arkansas Spring Nationals. Both features pay $1,500 to the runner-up. Mini­mum start money is $250. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Jet Racing Cen­tral Region and E3 Spark Plug Arkansas State points will be awarded.  The pit gate opens at 4 p.m., the grandstand opens at 5:30 p.m., hot laps are at 7 p.m. and racing starts at 7:30 p.m. each night.   Spectator admission is $10 for adults and free for kids ages 14 and under. Pit passes are $35. An open practice will be from 6:30-9:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 21. Pit passes that evening are $20.  Overnight accommodations are available by calling the Ramada Inn at 870 698-1800, Holiday Inn Express at 870 698-2700 or Comfort Suites at 870 698-1900.  Additional information about Arkansas Spring Nationals is available by calling 870 251-0011, at the www.batesvillemotorspeedway.com website and by emailing csstarr2@yahoo.com.